Configuration design of hybrid constellations with synchronous orbital precession based on rapid coverage analysis.

• A design model of hybrid constellations for Earth discontinuous coverage is established. • An analytical method for coverage analysis of hybrid constellations is proposed. • The superiority of hybrid constellations is demonstrated. This paper mainly deals with the configuration design of hybrid constellations for Earth discontinuous coverage. Firstly, a general design model of the hybrid constellation with synchronous orbital precession and multiple repeating ground tracks is developed. Then, to cope with the massive coverage calculation during the constellation design process, an analytical method for rapid coverage analysis of hybrid constellations is proposed. Finally, numerical examples are carried out, and several hybrid constellation design cases are proposed. Results indicate that the proposed coverage analysis method is demonstrated to be of high precision, and the designed hybrid constellations can achieve superior coverage performance compared with conventional Walker constellations. This research can be conducive to hybrid constellations design and Earth discontinuous coverage analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]